Check-registering device.



D. W. THORNTON.

' CHECK REGISTERING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 30, 1914.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

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D. W. THORNTON. CHECK REGISTERING DEVICE. APPLIGATION FILED MAR.30,1914.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

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Gimme/1 Wbbmeopeo THE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHoTo'LITHQ. WASHINGTON. D C.

D. W. THORNTON.

GHEOK REGISTERING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED MAR-.30,19i4.

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D. W. THORNTON. CHECK REGISTERING DEVICE. I APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30,1914. 1,1 32,529 Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

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Dav i (Z PITT/porn ion UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID W. THORNTON, OF CONRAD,.MONT ANA.

CHECK-REGISTERING- DEVICE.

Application filed llarch 30, .1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID IV. THORNTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Conrad, in the county of Teton and State of Montana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Check-RegisteringDevices; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in checkregistering devices and more particularly to an improvement on my formerPatent No. 7 93, 173, issued June 27, 1905, and my object is to providea device of this character in which checks registering various amountsmay be registered, the. arrangement of the device being such that thedevice will indicate individual amounts, as well as total amounts ofchecks introduced therein.

Still another object of the invention resides in providing a devicewhich is simple and durable in construction, inexpensive to manufacture,andone which will be very eflicient and useful in operation.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the novelfeatures of construction, combination and. arrangement of. parts, as,will be hereinafter referred to and more. particularly pointed out inthe specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application: Figure1 is a perspective view of a device constructed in accordance with myinvention; Fig. 2 is a detailperspective view of one of the checks usedin connection with the machine; Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinalsection through the device set up for operation; Fig. 4 is a frontelevation partly in section of one of the single or individual addingmechanisms; Fig. 5 IS a side elevation thereof; Fig. 6 is a frontelevation of the total adding mechanism; Fig. 7' is a plan view thereof;Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 9 is a detail. sideelevation, partly in section of the mechanism for releasing the cashdrawer; Fig. 10' is a detail elevation of the manual actuating means forreleasing the cash drawer; and Fig. 11- is an elevation of a clevis usedin connection with the mechanism shown in Fig. 10.

In describing the invention, I shallrefer to the drawingsv in whichSimilar reference Specification of Letters Patent.

Paten-ted M'ar. 16,1915.

SeriaLN-o. 828,321.

characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,and in which- 1 indicates a casing or the like, such as is usuallyprovided for registering and adding devices, the same being designed toreceive the various registering mechanisms and drawers, as will behereinafter set forth. Mounted in the casing above the bottom thereof,is a supporting flooring or the like 2 and it must here be stated thatthe casing is so designed as to be substantially open at its top. Inorder to provide a cover or closure for this opening, a removable plate,3 is provided, the same being locked or otherwise removably secured inposition to be removed only by those authorized to do so. This removableplate 3 covers but a portion of the top of the casing. A hinged cover 1is provided in addition thereto, the forward edge of the same beingprovided with a depending flange 4 to cover a portion of the front ofthe casing, for a purpose to be hereinafter and more particularly setforth. This hinged closure or cover plate 4 is offset intermediately ofits ends to provide a downwardly inclined portion and this member 4: isprovided with a plurality of slots 5 through which the checks or otherdevices used in connection with this machine may be introduced. Thiscasing is so designed as to receive a plurality of drawers, the upper ofwhich are indicated as 6 and are, in fact, individual check receivingreceptacles. In the drawings, I have shown but a pair of such drawerswhich are designed to receive checks introduced through apair of slots5. formed. in the hinged top member 4, but it will be understood that asmany drawers and a corresponding number ofslots may be provided, as arefound desirable. As above stated, a depending flange 4 is formed on theforward edge of the hinged top-member 4 and, as clearly disclosed inFigs; 1 to 3 of the drawings, this depending flange projects over thefront wallsof the drawers 6 of the device when set up in its operativeposition. Thus, the flange. retains said drawers in their closed andoperative positions. The lower drawer disposed at the bottom of thecasing 1 and indicated in the drawings as 7, forms a cash drawer for thedevice, the same being of the usual construction for containing coinsand bills, of various denominations.

As. above, stated, an interior flooring 2; is

mounted in the casing 1 some distance above the base or floor of saidcasing proper, the same dividing the casing into a pair of compartments,the lower of which contains the above described check and cash drawersThis upper compartment is designed to contain the registering apparatusand it might be here stated that this registering apparatus consists ofa single or individual adding and registering mechanism 8 and a totaladding device 9. Mounted on the flooring 2, adjacent the forward portionthereof, are pairs of vertical bearing plates 10 which form supportingWalls or frames for the rotatable shafts 11 mounted therebetween.Mounted on each of the shafts 11, to rotate therewith, is an indicatingwheel 12, which may be termed a primary or cents indicating member. Alsomounted to rotate with each shaft 11 is a pin gear 13 which carriestherewith a crown ratchet wheel 14. Loosely mounted on each shaft 11 forcooperation with the crown ratchet wheel 1 1 is a complementary crownratchet member 15. Carried on the complementary ratchet member 15 is apinion 16 and encircling the shaft between the pinion 16 and theadjacent bearing plate 10, is a coil spring 17, the normal tendency ofwhich is to force said pinion and the parts carried thereby in adirection toward the ratchet member 1%, thus normally engaging saidratchet members 14 and 15.

Slidably mounted on bearing rollers carried by supporting brackets 18which are mounted on the flooring 2 is a rack bar 19, the same movinglongitudinally of the de vice and having the teeth thereof in mesh withthe pinion 16; The forward end of this rack bar, is bent upwardly asindicated at 20 and is designed for cooperation with an adjacent slot 5in the top member 1, as will be hereinafter more particularly set forth.An expansion spring 21 held between lugs 22 and 23 carried respectivelyon the member 18 and the member 20, normally retains said rack bar in aposition as indicated in Fig. 3. It will be seen from this constructionthat said member 19 will be forced rearwardly against the tension ofsaid spring 21, but when released, will be returned to its initialposition under the action of said spring. Also mounted for rotationbetween each pair of bearing plates 10, is an additional shaft 241, thesame being provided with a registering wheel 25, similar to the wheel 12heretofore referred to. This shaft 24 also carries a pin gear 26. Bentleaf springs 27 are secured to the flooring 2, the free ends of whichare designed for engagement with the teeth of the gears 13 and 26 toprevent the rotation of the same and of the shafts supporting said gearswhen the machine is not in action. As stated, the Wheel 12 represents aprimary or cents indicating wheel or register, the same being printed orotherwise having inscribed on the periphery thereof numbers representingamounts, and these amounts are preferably advanced by five, so that whenthe wheel is revolved, it will indicate the amount, or add amounts,represented by the checks deposited in the machine. The wheel 25 is thedollar registering wheel and is designed for actuation when the amountson the wheel 12 have been registered to the highest degree. In order toactuate this member 25, a laterally extending pin or stud 28is carriedon the wheel 12, which is disposed in such a position as to engage atooth of the gear 26 at a predetermined point in the rotation of saidmember 12. Thus, said gear 26 with the shaft 24 and all other partsconnected therewith, will be actuated once in the complete rotation ofthe wheel 12. The registering structure so far described in connectionwith the registering means, represents the individual adding andregistering mechanism.

Mounted upon the flooring 2 rearwardly of the mechanism indicated as .8,is the total adding mechanism indicated as 9. A frame 29. is mounted onthe member 2 to form a supporting structure for this part of theregistering mechanism, the same having upstanding side arms whichsupport in the forward portion thereof, a rotatable shaft 30. Looselymounted on this shaft 30 is a sleeve 31, one end of which terminatesslightly in advance of one side portion of the frame 29 and has a crownratchet 32, carried thereon. Loosely mounted on the shaft 30, is acomplementary crown ratchet member 33 which is designed for engagementwith the member 32, said ratchet 33 also carrying therewith a pinion 34.Encircling the shaft 30 between this pinion and the adjacent side wallof the frame 29 is a coil spring 35, the

normal tendency of which is to force the pinion 31 and the ratchet 33 inthe direction toward the ratchet 32, thus normally engaging saidratchets 32 and 33 one with the other. Mounted on the sleeve 31 torotate with the latter is a registering wheel 36' signed for cooperationwith the member 38 is a complementary crown ratchet wheel 39 whichcarries therewith an additional pinion 40. A collar 41 is securelymounted on the sleeve 31 and a coil spring 11 encircles the sleevebetween said collar and the pinion 40, whereby to normally force thelatter in Also carried on the sleeve 31 to a direction towardthe ratchet'38 and correspondingly engage theratchet 39 with said ratchet 38. fI-tmight here be stated that the rack bars 19 which extend longitudinallyof the casing l are also designed for cooperat'ion with the pinions 40and 34:, as well as the pinion 16 above mentioned. Thus'it will be seenthat as the rack bars are actuated, the mechanism in the totalregistering apparatus will be actuated simultaneously with the actuationof the individual registering mechanism. The operation of thisstructure, however, will be hereinafter and more particularly set forth.Also rotatable between the side walls of the frame 29 and in a planeabove the plane of the axis of the shaft 30, is an additional shaft 42.This shaft carries thereon a pin gear 43 and a register wheel -14, thepin gear being designed for engagement with a laterally ex tending pinor stud 45 carried by the registering wheel 36 hereinbefore mentioned.

-'This wheel 14 contains numerals thereon corresponding to the numeralsand amounts on the Wheel 25 of the single or individual registeringmechanism. An additionalshaft a6 is "rotatably mounted between the walls.of the frame rearward-1y of the shaft 42, the same also carryingthereon a wheel 47 and a pinion gear 18 similar to the members a4 and 43just described. The numerals: however, on the wheel 47 obviously are notthe same, inasmuch as they are to represent enlarged amounts received inthe machine. A further shaft 49 is rotatable in the frame 29 rearwardlyof the shaft 146, this last Inentioned shaft being also provided with aregistering wheel 50, and pin gear 51. The wheels 4-1 and 47 arerespectively provided with laterally extending studs or projections 52,and 53 which are adapted to engage resaectively the teeth of the gears48 and 51.

hese studs .or pins engage these gears once in the rotation of thewheels carrying the same, so that the successive wheels are turned onenotch in one complete rotation of the preceding registering wheel.Attached to the base of the frame "29 are the leaf springs 54 which aredesigned for engagement with the teeth of the pin gears 37, 4.3, #18 and51 to prevent the rotation thereof and the adjunc'tive parts in aretrograde direction.

Arranged between the rear wall of the casing 1 and the rear wall of thecash drawer 7 is a coil spring 55 which has a tendency to normally forcethe drawer in its extended position. I have, however, provided amechanism for retaining said drawer in its closed or retracted position,and to this end, I provide a latch member '56 which is pivotally carriedon a bracket or bearing 57 on the rear wall of said casing 1. Thisbracket is designed for engagement with a keeper 58 carried on the rearwallof'the cash drawer.

end of a fu'lcrumed lever 60, the latter being fulcrumed intermediate ofits ends on a bearing 61 which is supported on the flooring 2. Theopposite end of the lever 60 is free and designed for engagement with acam 62 which is carried on the shaft 30. It is apparent from thisconstruction that upon the rotation of the shaft 30, the cam will be soactuated as to actuate the lever 60 and correspondingly disengage thelatch member 56 from the keeper 58. Under these conditions, the drawer 7will be forced to its extended position under the action of the spring55. The member 56, however, is so weighted as to overcome the weight ofthe lever 60, as soon as the cam has rotated a certain distance, so thatupon the return of the drawer to its initial position, the same will beautomatically engaged with said latch member 56.

While I have not shown an alarm such as is usually provided in cashregisters or in devices of this character, it is understood that thesame maybe provided.

In the construction above described, it will be seen that the drawerwill only be opened upon the actuation of the shaft 30. It is desirable,however, to provide a means for releasing the latch 56, so that thedrawer may be opened at other times, and upon the actuation of thecomplete machine, and to this end, an additional lever 63 is provided,the same being fulcrumed intermediate of its ends and between the armsof a clevis 6%. carried on the flooring 2. The lever 68 is so disposedas to permit a portion thereof to be arranged just below a projectingportion of the lever 60 and adjacent the connection of the latter withthe shaft or rod The opposite end portion of said lever 63 has a pivotalconnection with a push lever which projects through the top wall of thecasing 1. Thus, when it is desired to cause said drawer to be disposedto an .extended position without acuating the device, it is onlynecessary to push downwardly upon said push lever 65, which operationwill cause the lever 63 to be oscillated on its fulcrum point. Suchactuation of the lever 63 will cause the lever 60 to be actuated andobviously release the latch 56 from its engagement with the keeper 58.Such action will permit the drawer to be immediately disposed to itsextended position under the action of the spring 55.

' As previously stated, this device is a check registering machine,especially adapted for use in barber shops and other places employingclerks or help who receive payments which are turned into a commonreceptacle, but which have separate and independent recording means forthe payments received by each employee.

In carrying out my invention, checks 66 are provided, the same beingsomewhat wedge-shaped, as clearly disclosed in Fig. 2 of the drawings.These checks vary in proportion to the amounts which they represent, andeach check has printed, stamped, or otherwise inscribed thereon, aletter or number-representing the clerk or helper who carries out thework for which the check is deposited in the machine. This check furtherhas stamped thereon the amount of money which the same represents and itmay be here stated, that in carrying out the ol jects of my invention,each clerk or helper is provided with checks varying in width and amountfrom five cents to one dollar. The amounts represented by the checkspreferably increase at the rate of five cents, each check whichrepresents an increased amount being slightly larger than the checkrepresenting the neXt lower denomination, and the purpose of this willbe apparent from the description of the operation of the device.

In the use of this device, it is my intention to provide each clerk orhelper with checks of different widths, which, as stated above,represent various amounts of money, one check being deposited with eachamount of money received by him and the said check stamped with theamount of money cleposited in the register. As stated previously, thisdevice as shown in the drawings, contains but a pair of drawers whichcorrespond with a pair of slots 5 in the top of the device, so that thismachine is only capable of being used efiectively by two persons orclerks. Each clerks checks are numbered or lettered to correspond with asimilarly numbered or lettered slot and compartment of the device. Aseach payment is made to the clerk, a check corresponding to the amountof the payment is introduced in a particular slot in the device. As thecheck is introduced in the slot, the same will engage the forward end ofthe rack bar 19, and inasmuch as the check is wedge-shaped, the samewill force the rack bar rearwardly, causing the various shafts to berotated, as is obvious from the construction of the device as abovedescribed. As stated, the checks vary in size according to the amountswhich they represent and said rack bar, therefore, will be forcedrearwardly to a distance corresponding to the size of the checkinserted. Through the various ratchet Wheels, the primary indicatingwheels of .both the individual and total adding mechanisms will beactuated to a greater or lesser degree, as the. case may be. Thus, theamount of the check last inserted, together with the amount of thechecks previously deposited, will be registered thereby. The numbers onthe periphery of the primary indicating wheels represent amounts fromfive cents to one dollar, as before stated, said amounts increasing atthe rate of five cents, and the device is so constructed that afterchecks to the amount of one dollar have been deposited, the pins on theprimary indicating wheels will engage the gears on the secondary oradjacent indicating wheels, so upon the next movement of the primaryindicating wheels, said secondary wheels will be moved a distance of onenotch. As each successive number on the secondary registering wheelrepresents an increase of one dollar, the amount deposited by eachhelper and the total deposited in the ma chine, may be observed at aglance. The total registering or operating mechanism operates inprecisely the same manner as the individual or single addingmechanis1n,'with the exception that it is provided with two additionalindicating wheels, the third wheel registering one space or notch foreach twenty dollars deposited, and the fourth wheel registering onespace or notch for each one hundred dollars deposited in the machine.

It is intended that at the close of each days business, theforeman willopen the adding mechanisms, representing the work accomplished and thepayments received by each helper. These amounts may be recorded and thechecks removed from'the machine and returned to the respectiveemployees. It will be seen, that inasmuch as each class of checks isreceived in a separate receptacle 2'. e.-a drawer 6, the same will notrequire sorting as the sameare being removed from the machine. It willbe seen from the drawing, that the total recording mechanism is disposedin the rearward. portion of the machine and is coveredby the coveringplate or member 3. This member is not intended for removal by any otherthan the proprietor of the establishment in which this machine is beingused, so that no unauthorized persons may observe the amounts of moneywhich are constantly being registered in this device. After observingand recording the amounts registered on this device, the wheels may beturned by hand and set to the zero mark if desired, for furtherregistration in the use of the device.

While it is necessary to raise the cover plate 4 in order that theproprietor or other authorized personmay observe and determine the totalamounts, each individual using the registermay v observe his ownregistering disk through a transparent pane 4 provided in said coverplate 1- for that purpose. This transparent plate is sufficiently largeto enable the figures on the disks to be readily observed one at a time,as said disks are rotated.

From the foregoing description of the construction of my improveddevice, the opera tion thereof and the manner of applying the same touse will be readily understood, and it will be seen that I have provideda ma chine which is simple and durable in construction, comparativelyinexpensive to manufacture, and one which will be very eflicient anduseful in operation.

While I have particularly described the elements best adapted to performthe functions set forth, it is obvious that various changes in form,proportion, and in the minor details of construction may be resorted to,within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of the principles of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a registering device of the class described, a casing providedwith slots arranged at predetermined points therein, a frame mountedwithin the casing, shafts rotatably mounted within the frame, indicatingwheels carried on said shafts, means for causing certain of the shaftsto be rotated upon the rotation of certain other of the shafts, clutchmechanisms in connection with certain of said shafts, sliding rack barsarranged within the casing for cooperation with certain of said shaftsto rotate the latter upon the movement of said rack bars, spring meansin connection with said rack bars to normally retain the latter inposition for cooperation with the slots in said casing, and meansadapted for introduction through said slots to actuate said rack barsand parts connected therewith.

2. In a registering device of the class described, a casing providedwith slots arranged at predetermined points therein, a frame mounted inthe casing, shafts rotatably mounted in the frame, primary indicatingwheels mounted on certain of said shafts, secondary indicating wheelsmounted on certain other of said shafts, means in connection with saidWheels and shafts to rotate certain of the same upon the rotation ofcertain other thereof, clutch mechanisms arranged in connection with theshafts carrying the primary indicating wheels, sliding rack bars mountedin the casing, means in connection with said rack bars and the lastreferred to shafts to rotate the latter upon the sliding movement ofsaid rack bars in one direction, and spring means to normally retainsaid rack bars in position for cooperation with the slots in saidcasing, whereby to be actuated upon the introduction of members throughsaid slots.

3. In a registering device of the class described, a casing, a framemounted in the casing, a plurality of shafts rotatably mounted in saidframe, primary indicating wheels carried on certain of the shafts torotate therewith, secondary indicating wheels carried on certain otherof the shafts to rotate with the latter, means for causing the lastmentioned shafts to be rotated upon the rotation of the first mentionedshafts, clutch mechanisms in connection with the first mentioned shafts,pinions in connection with port-ions of said clutch mechanisms, springmeans arranged in connection with the pinions to normally position theclutch mechanisms elfectively, rack bars slidably arranged in said framein connection with said pinions to rotate the latter and parts connectedthereby when said rack bars are disposed in one direction, and springmeans in connection with said rack bars to normally dispose the latterto predetermined positions in the casing for actuation at predeterminedtimes.

a. In a device of the class described, a casing having a check receivingslot in the top wall thereof, a horizontal flooring mounted in thecasing slightly below the top wall of the same, bearing members mountedon said flooring in longitudinally spaced relation to one another, arack bar arranged for longitudinal movement between the bearing members,said rack bar being provided with longitudinally spaced apart slots andhaving one end thereof bent for disposition to a point immediatelyadjacent said slot, bearing rollers carried on said bearings andreceived in the slots of said rack bar, spring means to normally retainsaid rack bar in a predetermined position in the casing and operatingmechanisms in connection with said rack bar.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

DAVID WV. THORNTON. Witnesses:

R. FERGUSON, GILEs CAMPBELL.

Copies of thll patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patent;

Wanhington, D. G.

